A well-known family of poker games is hold'em poker. In hold'em poker, multiple players compete against one another to win a player-funded pot. Generally, hold'em poker games include one or more shared cards, referred to as community cards, that are used in conjunction with individual player cards to form a player hand. Among the games in this family are Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hold'em, and Pineapple (sometimes referred to as “Pineapple Hold'em” or “Crazy Pineapple”).
Texas Hold'em is considered the most popular community card game. In the most common version, Texas Hold'em is played by as many as ten players using a single standard deck of fifty-two playing cards. In private games, it is typical to use ante bets to fund the pot; in poker room games, “blind” bets, that is, bets placed by a player before the player sees his cards, are used to initially fund the pot.
Each player is dealt a player hand of two cards face down. These cards are used exclusively by the recipient and may be referred to as hole cards or pocket cards.
After the player hands have been dealt, a round of betting takes place. In an embodiment utilizing blind bets, a player may only fold (i.e., withdraw from the game), call (i.e., match the current wager), or raise (i.e., increase the current wager). In an embodiment utilizing ante bets, a player has the option to bet (i.e., set the opening bet if no prior bets have been made), check (i.e., pass if no prior bets have been made), call, raise, or fold.
After the first betting round, the dealer deals three community cards face-up. This is sometimes referred to as “the flop.” Another round of betting follows the flop. In the second and subsequent betting rounds, players have the option to bet or call, check, raise, or fold.
After the second betting round, a fourth community card is dealt. The fourth community card is sometimes referred to as “the turn” or “Fourth Street.” Yet another round of betting occurs.
After the third betting round, the dealer reveals a final community card, called “the river” or “Fifth Street.” A final betting round precedes the showdown. At showdown, all remaining players (i.e., players who have not folded) reveal their cards. Each player plays the highest ranking five-card poker hand possible using any combination of the five community cards and the two cards in his or her player hand. In forming a poker hand, the player may use zero, one, or both cards in his or her player hand in conjunction with five, four, or three of the community cards, respectively. The player with the highest ranking poker hand wins the pot.
Omaha Hold'em is similar to Texas Hold'em except the player is dealt a player hand with four hole cards rather than two. After five community cards are dealt and exposed (with attendant betting rounds), the player uses exactly two (no more or less) of his four hole cards plus exactly three of the community cards to form a five-card poker hand.
Pineapple is also similar to Texas Hold'em with two substantive differences. In Pineapple, each player is dealt a player hand with three hole cards rather than two. A first betting round follows, then three community cards are dealt (the “Flop”). A second betting round occurs. Each player is then required to discard one card from his player hand and proceed with the two remaining cards. The discarded cards are removed from play and cannot be used. Play continues as in Texas Hold'em.